We Were On A Break

November is National Novel Writing Month, it’s when people from all over commit to writing 50,000 words in the 30 days of November. I pretty much did the exact opposite, I didn’t really write at all in the month of November. Mostly because I didn’t realize it was National Novel Writing Month and because I used this time to do some things for myself. The last post you saw from me was actually a repost. The first I ever wrote on 140 Characters or More. And a quick update on the name of my blog when Twitter changed its character count from 140 characters to 280 characters. People continued to ask about my blog name, so I addressed the topic.

But other than that, that’s all she wrote. Literally.

Having a blog is a full time job on top of having a full time job and also coaching volleyball on the side. You have to write the content for your blog, you have to capture the photos for your blog, edit the photos, and once you have all of your content thrown together, you have to promote every time you post.

It is a great hobby and a great practice, but it is time consuming and has the capability to sometimes be stressful. You have to post at just the right time in order to get the views that you want. A slight 15 minute difference can make or break your post, I kid you not.

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What I learned in the month that I took time for myself is that:

1. I actually did miss writing and posting, though it may be stressful.
2. I had a significant amount of time to do other things that I like, or do nothing at all.  
3. I had more time to communicate with friends and family in other ways, like phone calls. Which I really found myself to be enjoying.
4. I tweeted more.
5. I realized how easy it is to get stuck inside and slip into seasonal depression if you don’t have a hobby and you don’t go out and do things.
6. I went out with my coworkers on a Monday night and had the best time.
7. I went to the Cleveland Museum of Art on a Wednesday evening and saw the exhibition on the roaring 20’s.
8. I read more books.
9. I spent more time outside even though it is cold.
10. I spent more time with my family.
11. I took more photos; better photos.
12. Even after going out and experiencing things I didn’t feel inspired to write.
13. I took day trips. And weekend trips.
14. I started coaching volleyball.
15. I took naps, which is a thing that I rarely do.
16. I reconnected with old friends.
17. I had time to get involved; help friends who were going through a hard time, get involved in my university’s alumni association, etc.
18. I came back to writing with a new spunk and a fresh vocabulary.

While I was away from writing I also realized that I really do have a blog audience. One day I walked into the gym and ran into someone who told me that they always read my blog. I was at a friend’s birthday party when someone else came up to me and expressed their interest in my blog.

I started this blog for myself. I had had other blogs in the past and other hobbies that I just never stuck with. So, when I started this blog I had no idea if it would stick. But it did, and it has evolved into something that I didn’t think it would ever become.

As I mentioned before, blogging is a full time job. But, I don’t think I will be taking another break from writing anytime soon. I have a commitment to this blog and to its followers and I’ve never felt so determined to make something work. My first blog post on 140 Characters or More was on April 23, 2017. I’m determined to make it to April 23, 2018.
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So, I hope you aren’t sick of me yet, because there is so much more to come. ​

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